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Feed My Starving Children, a Minnesota-based organization has well over exceeded it's giving goal for this year.

Earlier this summer, the organization set a goal of five million meals to be sent to East Africa. This week they announced that they not old reached their goal, they surpassed it, sending nearly 11 millions meals by the end of 2011.

"There are those moments when you just stop and you've got to be so grateful for the response and what we're able to do," Mark Crea, CEO of Feed My Starving Children told Kare11.

Crea said that most of the gracious response was a result of generous volunteers, donors, and corporations.

"It's just giving, and it doesn't take a whole lot," Tiffany House, a volunteer said, "We always have plenty of food on our tables, and most of them don't have anything."

A house fire on Wednesday morning in North Minneapolis left one man dead and two firefighters injured.

The victim who was inside the supposed to be vacant house was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center after a firefighter gave him first aid. He was later pronounced dead.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries after they fell through the floor of the burning house.

The house, which was supposed to be vacant left authorities puzzled as to why the man was in there.

"As you look at the building you'll notice that there is a piece of plywood on the front door," Dep. Chief Todd Steinhilber, of the Minneapolis Fire Department told Kare11. "One of the crew went to the back door immediately and found the backdoor wide open."

The cool, dry Minnesota air fills up around the hunters as the sun shows its rays for the first time. An ice layer on the water and a drizzle of willow leaves lets them leave in their boat, off to find the game.

They rode off into the lake and as a result of the sun's first morning sun rays, ducks in the water and in the air.

More than half, 56 percent, of Minnesotans say that the state is heading in the wrong direction, according to the 2011 survey from St. Cloud State University.

This years results were similar to those of last years. With 25 percent of respondents saying they think the state is actually headed in the right direction.

According to the results, respondents said they could see Republicans doing a better job handling the budget and taxes. Democrats on the other hand were seen to be able to improve Minnesota's economy, education issues, and unemployment rate.

One of the questions on the 2011 state survey was "Who was to blame for the government shutdown?" Over half of the respondents, 57 percent, blamed the Legislature controlled by the Republicans. Another 19 percent blamed Gov. Mark Dayton, DFL. Additionally, 19 percent blamed both.

When asked about the budget stalemate, 51 percent said spending cuts were the answer. On the other hand, 18 percent wanted a tax increase. Meanwhile, 28 percent said that a combination of both would do the job.

Friday night the 13-block area near West River Parkway was the victim of 17 fires set during a four-hour span.

Garages, vehicles and bags of leaves were all set to burn.

The Minneapolis police had 20 squad cars, 40 officers, from all five precincts in the area. Searches for suspects continued throughout the night.

The Star Tribune reported that most of the fires appeared to have been sparked with leaves. There were 10 fires started with leaf piles or in garage bags. Three fires hit vehicles, two garages and one in a garbage dumpster.

Residents of the neighborhood insist the area is generally safe, but they have seen an increase of crime since summer.

"We've always enjoyed our neighborhood," Shelly Junjak, three year resident of the Longfellow neighborhood, said, "We're hoping it's just a couple of kids who are just misguided."